For some, the end of the year means that pile of unread magazines looming larger than ever. But as schedules lighten and plane trips loom, there's no better time to do some reading. Knowing that you'll finally have some time to relax, and as we continue The Atlantic Wire's Year in Review, we've compiled some of our favorite pieces of long-form non-fiction journalism from 2012. Because it's been a good year for long reads. From old standards to new favorites and the continued rise of Longform.org, Byliner, and the Atavist, there's been no shortage of fresh, breathtaking material. Though it's by no means a comprehensive list, what follows, in chronological order of publication date, are much lauded pieces you may have missed (and you don't want to miss Pamela Colloff's stunning, two-part tale of exoneration in Texas Monthly) and some others we think slipped under the radar. They are, simply, great stories: alternately gripping, beautiful, thrilling, or just fun. So print them out, load them onto Instapaper or Pocket or whatever, and start reading.

"The Story of a Suicide" by Ian Parker in The New Yorker
The suicide of Tyler Clementi was already widely covered by the time Parker's story was published, but Parker's detailed take became the definitive account of two college roommates and a sour relationship with dire consequences.

"The Innocent Man" Parts One and Two by Pamela Colloff in Texas Monthly
A fantastically detailed tale of an exoneration — and a life lived while being wrongfully persecuted.

"The Truck Stop Killer" by Vanessa Veselka in GQ
Part personal essay, part reporting project, Veselka wrote about a world she knew all too well: that of young teenage hitchhikers and the truckers that picked them up, one of who was a brutal murderer.

"Jersey Boys" by Jeffrey Goldberg
Goldberg wrote one of the most entertaining — and weirdly timely — pieces of the year when he traveled to a Springsteen concert with one of the Boss's biggest fans: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.